The embodiment relates to a portable charger, which can be selectively operated in a plurality of modes and a method of operating the same.
An electric vehicle refers to a vehicle driven by using electric energy and may be classified into a battery powered electric vehicle and a hybrid electric vehicle.
The battery powered electric vehicle, which is generally called an electric vehicle, is driven by using only electric energy. The hybrid electric vehicle is driven by using electricity and fossil fuels. Such an electric vehicle includes a battery. Specifically, in a case of an plug-in type hybrid electric vehicle in the battery powered electric vehicle and the hybrid electric vehicle, the battery is charged with a current supplied from an external electric power source to drive an electric motor.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a portable charger according to the related art.
As shown in FIG. 1, the charger is equipped with a cord set.
Referring to FIG. 1, the portable charger 10 includes a main body 11, a first connector 12 connected to the main body 11 and a commercial power source, and a second connector 13 connected to the main body 11 and an electric vehicle.
According, to the portable charger 10, when the first connector 12 is connected to the commercial power source and the second connector 13 is connected to the electric vehicle, the electric power supplied from the commercial power source is transferred to a battery installed in the electric vehicle through the portable charger 10.
The portable charger 10 serves as a power supply cable for simply supplying an electric power to the electric vehicle connected thereto.
A separated communication port 14 must be provided in the portable charger 10 in order to communicate with an external apparatus (for example, an electric vehicle or a diagnosis apparatus) through the portable charger 10.
However, the properties of perfect water proof and disassembly are required to the above-described portable charger due to its using environment. When the communication port 14 is formed at an outside of the main body 11, an additional process (such as an O-ring or a bushing) for achieving the waterproof performance of the main body 11 is required, so that an additional cost is caused.
Further, as described above, if the communication port 14 is formed, since it is impossible to prevent an access of a malicious user, an additional locking mechanism or a special customized communication cable for preventing the malicious access is required.